Washing machine



[j {N VEN TOR.

L. W. SCHUMANN WASHING MACHINE Filed March 27 o iooooiio Patented Nov.17, 1925.

UNITED STATES T F F I' GE.

LEON 'SGHUMANN, OF ROCHESTER, :NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY 'MESN'E ASSIGN-MENTS, TO THE G. R. S. PRODUCTS, INCL, .O F GOLONIE NEW YORK, AGORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

W SHING' AQHINE.

Application filed March 27, 1922. Serial No. -546,984.

To all whom it may concern? Be it known that I, LnoN W. SOHUMANN, acitizen of the .United States of America, residing at Rochesten'in thecounty' of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Washing Machines, of which the following is.a'specification.

This invention relates to 'Washing'machines, and particularly to washingmachines of the cylinder type.

In washing machines of this type the cylinder is usually mounted forrotation on a horizontal axis, "the rotation being either continuouslyinone direction 0r"oscillatory, dependent upon the particular type ofmachine. The cylinders areusuallyperforated and immersed in, a containerpartlyffilled with water.- In washing machines of this type, it isnecessary-tob'e-ableto-remove the cylinder from the container forcleaning and other purposes, and therefore the gdriving means for such acylinder is pre'fera'bly made easily detachable. f-In Washing machinesof this type, it is also desirable 'to be able to bring the cylinder"into an out-"ofdriving -relation with the drivingtm'eans Withoutstopping themotion; of; such driving means.

With these and other considerations in mind, the principal objects andpurposes of the'present invention ar egto provide a de tachable driving-',connection'; for a "washing cylinder which is'constructed andarranged to serve the double function as a detachable means forpermitting the removal of the 'cylindenfrom the container, andas aclutch 'for starting and stopping'the cylinder when desired; toconstruct such a device in a simple-and 'efiicient manner whichfacilitates easy operation and which provides a firm connection with themin imum" H p the handle 10 slides the shaft "6 into an outdrivingamount offlost motion. iMorefspe'cifically, a pyramid type ofclutch isprovided between the driving connection and "the to keep-the "clutch-members inf-firm j'driv'ing relation.

Otherobjects and purposesiof the present invention "will IZPQQ/I' 33Bthe vdos 9.1"iption progresses,

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be madetotheaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical lontitudinalfrag I mentary view of awashing machine embodylng the presentlIlVGIItIOIL;

\ Fig. 2 is 'a fragmentary end view ofthe device illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 illustrates a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig.1, "as viewedin the direc- 'tion-o'f the-arrows;

Fig. 4 -illustrates a section taken on the line"4.-4Fig. 1 looking inthe direction of the arrows; and

Fig; 5 is a perspective'view of thespring used in the spring pressedithrust bearing ofthe washing cylinder.

In order to 'explain the nature ofthe present invention, attention isdirected to the accompanying drawings which-show the principal operatingparts of -a typical washing-machine comprising a skeletonframeworklcarryinga tub 2, andhaving a closed cylinder 3 rotatablymounted lin the tub.

To one end of the washing cylinder 8 is bolted afcasting, consisting ofajplate Ll-having aholl'ow boss i5. "Theiinsideof said boss 'is'shapedlike a pyramid, but moregsp'ecifi- 'cally comprises a pocket shapedt'o'flreceive a frustum 'of'a triangular gpyramid as-prowide'd on .theend of {the driving-shaft 6, the

end of "the driving shaft being preferably slightly larger than thebottom' ofsaid pocket to assuregcontact between the sides ofthepyramidandsa'id 'pocke't. j

Thesha'ft'G .isjournaled in ,a mechanism casing-T supported atqthreepoints to "the skeleton 'frameworkfby bolts, as shown. The

'shaftjis preferably provided with a'circum ferential groove 8 tofreceive an operating -menibei" 9 eccentrically connected, to an operating handle -10, wherebyfthe operation of of-engagement with cylinder 3,

To the shaftb isisplin'ed" a pi'nion 11 which der 3.

lar extensions 19 of the mechanism casing 7. To the lower end of theshaft 18 is pinned a worm wheel 20, which operatively engages a worm 21on a shaft 22 directly connected with an electric motor 23. Themechanism casing 7 entirely closes the operating mechanism for drivingthe Washing cylinder, and is packed with a suitable lubricant forconstantly lubricating the inter-engaging parts of the operatingmechanism.

The mechanism casing is provided with a circular flange 2% extendingabout the driving shaft 6 into the container 2. A flanged collar 25having an integral curved shelf 26 is bolted about the flange 24 on theinside 7 of the container 2. This flanged collar and shelf are providedwith adjusting means to adjust its relation with respect to the drivingshaft 6. This adjusting means comprises aset screw 27 having a lock nut28 for locking the set screw in place. In practice, this shelf isadjusted to an elevation to permit the end of the shaft 6 to enter thepocket in the boss 5 on the end; of the 'cylin 7 may be brought intodriving relation with the cylinder 3 by operating the handle 10 thelike. It has been found desirable to provide means to take care of suchvariations,

and in the particular embodiment shown the skeleton framework 1 isprovided with a cross member 29 of angle iron directly opposite to theshaft .6 and on the outside of the yieldable end wall remote from themechanism casing of the container 2. Supported on the inside and fromthetop of the container is a U-shaped bearing member. 80. The endopposite the clutchof the washing cylinder 3 has a casting boltedthereto,

.comprising a plate 31 having a boss 32 provided with a journal-33. Thisjournal -33 is adapted to rest in thebearing U-shaped bearing member.

Suitable means are preferably employed to vurge the U-shaped bearingmember toward the cylinder 3. This means comprises the provision of aspring for urging the U- shaped bearing member against the boss 32,

in order to maintain the shaft 6 and the gated leaf-spring memberbent'in the form hollowed boss 5 in snug operative engagement. Thisspring 34 comprises an elonan arc, as ,clearlyillustrated in Fig.

With such adjustment, the shaft 6.

portion of the r On the concaved side of this spring member are providedtwo radially extending cars 35.

In practice, after the washing machine has been assembled, the spring 34is inserted between the wall of the container 2 and the cross member 29,as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, thus causing the wall of the container2 and the U-shaped bearing member to be urged toward the inside of thecontainer,

thereby providing the spring thrust bearing desirable for washingmachines of this type. Having thus fully described my invention, what Idesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

,1. In a washing machine, the combination of a cylinder, means adaptedto be shifted into driving engagement with one end of said cylinder, andresilient means at the other end of said cylinder for maintaining saidcylinder in a predetermined spring-pressed engagement with respect to 4said last mentioned means.

2. In a washing machine, the combination of a readily removable cylinderhaving a clutch member at one end, a driving member provided with acompanion clutch mem and means at the other end of said cylinder formaintaining said cylinder and driving means in a predetermined drivingrelation.

4. In a washing machine, the combination of a container, a cylinder,journals on opposite ends thereof, one of said journals having. atapered opening therein, means llO for rotatably supporting saidcylinder in said container, shiftable driving means having a tapered endadapted to be shifted into operative engagement with the tapered openingin one of said journals thereby lifting said journal from its support,and means" for resiliently urging said journal into engagement withsaid. shiftable means for maintaining a firm operative connection between said driving means and the journal containing said opening inspite of the weight of said cylinder tendingto disengagesaid' drivingmeans and the journal containing said opening. 5. In a washingvmachme,the combination of a container, a cylinder, journals on 1 opposite endsof said cylinder, means for rotatably supporting said cylinder-(in saidcontainer, shiftable oscillatory driving means having a tapered endadapted to be shifted into operative engagement with one of saidjournals thereby lifting the corresponding end of the cylinder andsupporting the same, means for shifting said shiftable means, andresilient means for urging said journal into engagement with saidshiftable means, whereby said resilient means maintains the tapereddriving means in engagement with said last mentioned journal in spite ofthe weight of the cylinder tending to disengage them.

6. In a washing machine, the combination of a container having ayieldable wall, a framework for supporting said container, a journalsupport depending from the top of said container, and means for urgingsaid wall and said journal support inward.

7. In a washing machine, the combination of a container having ayieldable wall, a framework for supporting said container, a journalsupport depending from the top of said container and on the insidethereof, one member of said framework re-enforcing said wall, and aspring for urging said wall from said framework.

8. A spring for thrust bearings for cylinder type washing machinecomprising, a

.leaf spring of arcuate shape, and means for supporting said spring in apredetermined relation with respect to such thrust bearings including anear extending transversely from the concave side of said leaf spring.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

LEON W. SCHUMANN;

